Bendable fastener



June27, 1944. R. c'. POTTS BENDABLE FASTENER Filed Aug. 2, 1945 Patented June 27, 1944 --jy [UNITED -STATES PA'I"}:`.'I\I.'I`` ICE l v n I y l 2,352,407 y A "Y BENDABLE VII'SIEINTER Roy C.. Afotts, TakomaPark, Md.A v Applicatipnaugstz, 1943, serial No. 497,062 l I I (o1. 2li-153) My'inventionfrelates to. fasteners and has as 2 Claims;

its principal object to providel a preformed fastener which may be manually insertedto operative position to secure sheets of material together andwhich maybe manually removed. for'dis'as'jsembly'of the securedv parts. l n.

1t is a further object of this invention to'prof vide a'preformed fastener which may be made of a.`.substantial gaugeof vmetal such as No. 14 gauge *(.080") round Wirean-d which, when in final position, will tightly secure the parts to which it is applied.

The yabove'and other objects of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved fastener;

Fig. 1A is an elevation of the same fastener; and

Figs. 2, 3, 4, and show consecutive steps in the application of the fastener.

Ihe fastener comprises a length of wire I0 having a major body portion I2. At one end of the body portion I2 the wire is bent at right angle to form a leg I4 and at the end of the leg I4 the Wire is bent to provide a member I6 which forms an angle less than 90 with the leg I4. At the opposite end of the body portion I2 the Wire is bent to provide a leg I8 at right angle to the body portion I2 and parallel to the leg I4, and at the end of the leg I8 I provide a member 20 bent slightly away from the direction of the leg I8. All portions of the fastener lie substantially in the same plane.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, I show three sheets or boards 22, 24 and 26, to be secured by the fastener. Obviously, any number of sheets may be secured. The length of the legs I4 and I8 of the fastener I0 should approximate the composite thickness of the sheets to be secured and should not greatly exceed such thickness. If the legs I4 and I8 have a length somewhat less than the combined thickness of the sheets to be secured no harm will be done and some slight deficiency may even be advantageous in providing a tighter grip of the fastener.

The sheets to be secured, 22, 24 and 26, are provided with spaced preformed coincidental openings or holes 28 and 3U. These should be so spaced that the distance from center to center approximates the length of the body I2 of the fastener. As shown in Fig. 2, the member I6 of the fastener II) is thrust through the hole 28 and the fastener is manipulated to bring the leg I4 Within the hole 28 and with the member IB overlying the sheet 26, Manual pressure is then exerted upon the member `2|) with the result that the leg I8 is exedj toward the body I2 and the angle of deviationof themember ,20 from the leg I8 is substantially reduced, The member 20 is then inserted in the holefll)` as shown in Fig. 3 and the body I2 of the fastener II) is pressed down upon the sheet 22 to the position illustrated in Fig; 4.v y j Due to the fact that the lmember IE has been bent to less than a right angle to the leg I4, there is'eX'erted a resilient tendency to liftjthe body I2 away from the sheet 22, With the parts in the position shownin Fig. 4,l the leg 20 is then bent substantially to a rightangle with the leg I8 and overlies the sheet 26. The relationship of the member I6 to the leg I4 continues to exert a tensioning effect, with the `result that the parts 22, 24 and 26 are tightly held together.

One of the primary advantages of this type of fastener lies in the fact that it is both applicable and removable by hand. To secure this advantage, however, the stock from which the fastener is formed must not `be too stiff or too resilient. Probably a stock similar to that used in baling wire is most suitable. The angle of the,

member I6 relative to the leg I4 should be only slightly less than so that flexure of the member I6 to a full 90 relationship with the leg I4 will not produce a permanent set of the metal. Similarly, the deviation of the member 20 from the direction of the leg I8 should be sufficiently slight so that the flexure of the leg I8 relative to the body I2 combined with the flexure of the member 20 relative to the leg I8 to bring about the relationship shown in Fig. 3 may be accomplished without giving the metal a permanent set. This is also important since too great an angle might make the final bending step illustrated in Fig. 5 not sufficiently great to produce a permanent set and such effect Would keep the fastener from tightly gripping the members to be secured.

This fastener may be re-used a number of times if the stock is sufficiently mild. The preferred cross section of it is circular because such cross section lends itself to repeated bendings and, therefore, repeated use of the fastener. Any suitable cross section may, however, be used, such, for example, as square or rectangular. In the latter case, however, the major dimensions of the cross section must be transverse the length of the fastener. It is also possible and, from the standpoint of operation, desirable to have a rectangular configuration for the leg I8 and member 20 and an indentation where they join with the remainder of the fastener either square or round in cross section. It is questionable, however, whether in practice such an arrangement would produce sufficient advantage to justify the additional cost.

For obvious reasons, the legs I4 and I8 must be approximately parallel and must lie on the same side of the body portion I2. I have shown the members I6 and 20 as lying in the same plane with the legs II` and I8. For the purpose of manufacture, as well as for packing land handling, such relationship is desirable. It is not, however, indispensable from the standpoint of operations and it is within the scope of this in- Vention to have the members I6 and 20 'lying at any angle relative to the body portion I2 'so long as their relationship with their respective legs remains as described or to have the member 20 bent into a reverse right angle position'to that shown in Fig. 5. v v

While I have 'disclosed' one specific embodiment of my invention, -I do not intend to be limited to the precise details vas disclosed but only as set forthin the subjoined claims which are to be broadly construed.

What is claimed is:

l. A fastener formed from a length of'm'etal wire having substantially uniform cross-sectional dimensions, said fastener being preformed so as to require only a single bending operation to bring it to final securing position, said fastener in condition for applicatin comprising a substantially straight body portion, 'a leg at each end of said body portionand va member 'at the v'vardly therefrom.

2. A fastener formed from a length of metal wire having substantially uniform cross-sectionaldimensions said fastener being preformed so as to require only a single bending operation to bring vit to final ysecuring position, said fastener in condition for application comprising a substantially straight body portion, a leg at each fend of said body portion and -amember at the end of each le'g, said body portion, legs and inembers all Vlying in substantially v-the lsame'plane, both legs lying onthe same side of said body portion and substantially at rightangIes thereto and each leg approximating in length lthe thickness of lthe combined parts'through which they are intended to be inserted, vthe member atthe end of one of said legs extending-substantially at an acute angle to said leg, and the member atthe end of the other of' said legs forming substantially an obtuse angle with said leg.

- ROY C. PO'ITS. 

